


"I'm FINE!"

by That_Girl_Who_Is_WAY_Too_Cheerful



Category: IT Crowd
Genre: M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:40:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/That_Girl_Who_Is_WAY_Too_Cheerful/pseuds/That_Girl_Who_Is_WAY_Too_Cheerful
Summary: Roy is fine.Or at least, that's what he's saying.
Relationships: Maurice Moss/Roy Trenneman
Comments: 6
Kudos: 18





	"I'm FINE!"

The boys were late. Now, if it was just Roy, Jen wouldn't be concerned. But neither of them were there, she was, and one of the girls on 8th was frantic. Jen had been up and down twice already and the computer had been turned on and off again four times. She was just about to leave again when Moss and Roy finally turned up.   
"Jesus! You two scared me. There's a girl up on 8th who needs some help... Ro-" She stopped, observing Roy's sickly complexion and the way he was clinging to the door frame as if it was the only thing keeping him upright. "Moss. Could you go up and help her out?"  
"You started to say Roy's name."   
"Uh... yes. I just remembered that this girl really, uh, doesn't like Roy. So can you go do it? Please?"   
"Sure, Jen." Moss shuffled back out of the office.   
"Are you right there, Roy?"   
"Hmm? Fine. 'm fine." Roy trudged to his desk and sat down, "Why wouldn't I be fine?"  
"You look like you're about to pass out. Why are you at work? You never come in if you can help it."   
"'m fi-" Roy stopped mid-sentence, coughing violently.   
"Yeah, right."  
"Okay, maybe I'm a liiiiittle bit under the weather. But don't tell Moss."   
"Why ever not? He's your boyfriend, surely he's realised already?"  
"Er... no. He's not the.. most observant of people. I don’t know, ever since we've started dating, he comes to check on me whenever I'm not at work. And I don't want him to fuss or anything, and I'm fine, anyway, I'll be right as rain tomorrow."   
"Yeah, yeah, sure... " Jen trailed off, "And how, exactly, do you plan on hiding this from him? You're practically married."   
"You'll just have to keep him busy."   
"Me? Really, Roy. You know what, I should just go tell him right now-"  
"Tell who what?" Moss appeared in the doorway.   
"Nothing. I mean, nothing of note. Nothing important. Really, nothing." Roy crossed his arms. Jen smirked.   
"Oh, alright then. I fixed the computer, Jen. And I don't think it's that girl who has a problem with Roy."   
"Oh... really? I could have sworn... thanks anyway, Moss, I spent about an hour with her this morning. Where were you two?"   
"Bad traffic." Roy muttered.   
"Roy's been driving me to work lately. I thought he was hungover and skipping work, but it turns out, there was a traffic jam between our houses this morning. How crazy is that?"   
"Very. Very crazy, Moss." Jen forced a smile, suspecting that traffic might not have been quite so responsible for Roy's late arrival at Moss' as the poor boy thought. "Anyhoo, I have work to do. See you boys later." She disappeared into her office.   
***   
Making sure Moss stayed away from Roy was proving to be a difficult task, Jen thought to herself. And Roy looked worse than he had earlier, which she hadn't thought was possible. She sighed, picking up the phone. Maybe she could call in some favors with the girls upstairs...  
***   
"Not now, Moss, I'm busy." Roy grumbled as Moss attempted, once again, to drag him away for a quick snog while Jen wasn't looking.   
"You've been busy all morning, Roy. You're never busy."   
"Moss!" Jen's door opened, and she poked her head out, "Mind heading up to fourth? Apparently there's been a mass computer shut down up there."   
"Oh, can't Roy do it? I've already been up there today." Roy shot a panicked look at Jen.   
"Oh, no, they specifically requested you."   
"They know I'm gay, right?"   
"Yes, Moss, they know you're gay. Now would you hurry up there, please?"   
"Yeah, fine." Moss turned to go, before turning back and kissing Roy on the forehead as a way of goodbye. "Wow, Roy, you're awfully warm," He pressed his hand against Roy's forehead, "Are you ill?"   
"Noooo." Roy sunk in his seat slightly, "I'm fine."   
"Are you sure? You look a little pale..."   
"I'm always pale, Moss, I'm Irish."   
"More pale then."  
"I'm fine, Moss. Fine. I look fine, right, Jen?"   
"Erm... yes. He looks fine, Moss, I'm sure you're just cold and feeling the contrast. Here, let me check." Jen walked over and clumsily placed her hand where Moss' had been. "He's fine."   
"Okay, that's good." Moss grinned, turning to go again, "Fourth, did you say, Jen?"   
"Yes. Fourth."  
As soon as he left, Jen looked back at Roy. "You're burning up! You should be at home!"   
"I don't want to worry Moss." Roy sighed, "It's just a cold, I'm fine."   
"It's nearly lunchtime. I'm going to run home and get my thermometre."   
"You don't need to do that, Jen-"  
"I think I do, Roy. There's painkillers at my desk for your head." She pulled her coat down, "Moss will be up there for ages, I asked them to keep him for as long as they could."  
"I don't need painkillers." Roy stood up, "I'm fine."   
"Suit yourself." Jen shrugged, "I'll be back in an hour." Roy nodded, trying not to grimace as the dull ache in his head intensified.   
As soon as she was gone, he begun the slow journey to her office. He'd never noticed how far away it was before. Reaching the couch, his legs finally gave way, and he abandoned the bid for pain relief. A nap would do, he thought.   
***  
"Where's Roy?" Jen asked Moss.   
"In your office, fixing your computer like you asked him to. Really, Jen, you ought to know how to do that yourself by now."  
"He's… Oh yes, of course, my computer." Jen nodded, "How could I forget! Silly me." She didn't even bother to hang up her coat, simply 'calmly' rushing into her office.  
"Roy…" She started, "Wait, Roy, where are you?" She heard a muffled whimper from under her desk. "I told you that you needed to take the- Roy?"  
The boy was curled into a ball in the corner of her desk, and she didn't think she'd ever seen him look so small. Tears were streaming down his face. Taking one look at her through glassy eyes, he buried himself further in his hoodie.   
"Are you okay?" He shook his head, choking back a sob.   
"Look, Roy, I think it's time you head home." He shook his head violently, prompting a coughing fit that lasted far longer than Jen decided was normal.   
"Moss…" He mumbled.  
"Yes, I'll go get Moss…"   
"NO!" He whispered panickedly, "P-please d-don't."  
"Well you have to tell me what's wrong then." Jen sighed, "Can you do that?"   
Roy nodded, uncurling slightly.   
"E-everything hurts."   
"Did you take the painkillers?" He nodded again, "'bout an hour ago, th-they didn't hel-lp." His eyes filled with tears again.   
"Can I take your temperature?" Jen asked, although it sounded more like an order than a question. A minute or so later, she was staring worriedly at the number on the tiny screen.   
"A-am I g-going to die?"   
"God, Roy, no." Jen almost laughed, but then saw the look on his face. "It's just a bit higher than it should be, is all." Roy whimpered again, folding back into himself against the side of the desk.   
"Come out from there, we need to get you home." She extended her hand.   
"No thank you." Was the muffled reply from what now appeared to be more of a pile of hoodies than a human.   
"Alright, but I'm getting Moss. Maybe he can talk some sense into you."   
"No!" Roy grasped her wrist weakly, "No, you can't tell Moss…"  
"Why not? He's your boyfriend."   
"Exactly." Roy mumbled.   
"He's allowed to worry about you, Roy. Even I worry about you sometimes."   
"B-but…"   
"But what, Roy?"  
"I don't know… he's seen me at my worst so many times, Jen." Roy shivered slightly, "He's seen me passed out drunk, incredibly hungover, sobbing about liking men. I d-don't deserve h-him."   
"But he loves you."  
"W-would he love me like th-this?" Roy asked. "A tearful mess of a man, all because he's got a little cold?"   
Jen sighed. "Roy, you've got a high fever. And if he's seen you all those other times, surely he's seen you sick before." He shook his head.   
"I don't get sick." Jen sighed again, pulling down a box of tissues from her desk.   
"Sure you don't." She handed them to him, "How about you stay here, and have a little nap. There's only two hours left of the day, I can drive Moss home, and then I'll come back at get you."   
"I c-can drive." Roy hiccuped slightly.  
"I don't think you can stand up, Roy, let alone get to your car." Roy let out a loud huff, but nodded.   
"Okay."   
***   
"How much longer does he plan for this to go on, Jen?" Moss questioned when she stepped out of her office.   
"What are you talking about, Moss?"   
"My boyfriend. You know, the one who is currently under your desk?"   
"I still don't know what you mean." Jen pretended to rummage through her bag.   
"Jen, I've know Roy Trenneman for a lot longer than you have, and I can tell when he's ill."   
"Roy's ill?"   
"Yes, he ruddy well is! You went home to get a thermometer, for crying out loud."   
"I suppose I did, didn't I?" Jen perched on the edge of Moss' desk, "How long have you known?"   
"Since I got back from upstairs and he leapt up from the couch and ran into your office."   
"I suppose that's not exactly usual Roy behavior, is it?"   
"No, not at all. Is he okay?"   
"Well… he's sitting under my desk crying, so I don't think so, no."   
"You'd think he'd learn to stop hiding it." Moss grumbled, "I can always tell, in the end."   
"So you've seen him like this before?"   
"Of course I have! He generally starts the day off a-okay, and then in a few short hours he's a feverish mess. He likes to pretend I don't know, though."   
"I think you should go talk to him."   
"I think he's asleep."  
"Oh, yes, right. Maybe we should move him to the couch..."   
"That's probably a good idea." Moss agreed, "He's going to yell at us though."   
"Maybe we shouldn't, then." Jen bit her lip thoughtfully.  
"He'll hurt his back if he stays under there too long, come on."  
Jen followed him reluctantly, hesitating by the door as she watched him crouch down and investigate his boyfriend.   
"Roy…" Moss shook the boy gently.   
"Moss?" Roy replied groggily, "Moss! JEN!" He yelled, quickly regretting it as his body shook with the force of his coughing.   
"Don't yell at her, dear." Moss adjusted his glasses, "I worked it out on my own." He added proudly, smiling, before realizing his boyfriend was decidedly not okay. "You need to move to the couch, if you're not going home."   
"I don't want to move."   
"Too bad." Moss crossed his arms.   
"Mooooooss." Roy moaned, "It's nicer under here."   
Moss looked between his boyfriend and the door helplessly.   
"Roy," Jen spoke up from the doorway, "You can move to the couch, or I can take you home."   
"Moss…" Roy looked at the boy, pleading.   
"Can you take him home, Jen?" Moss sighed, standing up.  
"Of course. Can you get him out?"  
"Roy, dear, come on." Moss tugged on his boyfriend’s arms, which were firmly crossed against his chest.   
"I don't want to go hoooome." Roy sneezed into his elbow, accidentally releasing his arms and allowing Moss to drag him out.   
"I'll come over later with soup." Moss offered.   
"I don't want soup, I want to stay here." Roy grumbled as Moss pulled him to his feet.   
"You can't stay here." Jen remarked as she watched Moss struggle to get Roy to stand upright.   
"But I'm-"   
"Fine. We know."   
***   
"Did you get him into bed?" Moss asked as Jen returned to the office, looking dead on her feet.  
"I think so…" She yawned. "But god, he's stubborn."   
"I know." Moss smiled fondly, "It's going to be a nightmare to get him to eat some of mum's soup."


End file.
